Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Japan
Japan: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates was 101.1% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Japan, 2013–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Japan recorded 101.1% for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Japan peaked at 101.9% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 100.5%, in 2013.
That places Japan 103rd out of 217 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 100.5% | — |
| 2014 | 100.9% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 101.3% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 101.6% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 101.4% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 101.8% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 101.9% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 101.8% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 101.8% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 101.1% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 101.1% | +0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 101.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 99.8%, 1.0× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Japan's 101.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 100.7%, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 101.3% | 100.5% | 101.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 101.5% | 101.1% | 101.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More education data for Japan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 627,777 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (1999)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.50 million (1999)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (1999)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.25 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.01 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0502 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Japan?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Japan was 101.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 101.9% in 2019.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 100.5% in 2013.
- How does Japan rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Japan ranks 103rd out of 217 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.